Homecoming, family weekend approaches

By Hanna Merzbach

Homecoming and Family Weekend will be held this coming weekend, Oct 20-22. Since this year is LC’s 150th anniversary, the school has made it its goal to bring as many alumni and family members to campus as possible to celebrate.

“We try and always create events that are compelling to bring the alumni back to campus,” Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Ginger Moshofsky ’83 said. “Homecoming, in particular, is a great time for alumni, families and their students to socialize together.”

This year, the theme is sustainability, since the 20th Annual Environmental Affairs Symposium kicks off next week. Guests will be encouraged to download the “Homecoming & Family Guidebook App,” as a printed schedule will not be provided.

From 2 to 3 p.m. on Friday, Sustainability Director Amy Dvorak will be leading a Sustainability Tour of campus, starting at the Corbett Circle on the Graduate Campus.

Afterwards, the first session of Pioneer College classes will be held, one of which is related to the sustainability theme. This session is presented by the Environmental Studies faculty and will be held in JR Howard Hall, room 102.

“Parents can be in the classrooms with their students and visitors can see (an example of an LC class),” Moshofsky said.

On Saturday, the festivities will begin with a Tryon Creek nature walk and a Student Organizations Brunch coordinated by Graduate Assistant Shishei Tsang M.A. ‘19.

“We really just want to have the student organizations come out and be represented and then start connecting with the alumni and parents,” Tsang said.

A meet and greet will follow with artist Bill Will, whose work is being showcased in the Hoffman Gallery. Will lives in the Portland area, providing a connection between the LC campus and the greater Portland community.

“President Wiewel has said how he really wants the school to connect more with the Portland community,” Moshofsky said.

Wiewel’s goal will be reflected in the main Saturday evening activity: a Portland Spirit cruise along the Willamette to the Morrison Bridge, which will be lit up in orange and white.

The ticket price for this event, which includes dinner, was $50 in advance. More than 200 people, including alumni, family and students, are expected to join. Wiewel will also be in attendance, providing him with an opportunity to connect with the LC community.

“(Wiewel) was enthusiastic from the start about the events already planned,” Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Andrew McPheeters said. “He really has jumped into being a Pio and made connecting with students, parents and alumni a high priority.”